Dispensers for diluting a concentrated liquid and dispensing the diluted concentrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539598-B2
Application number	US-201514685102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2015
Priority date	Oct 19, 2012
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of dispensers are disclosed herein. One exemplary dispenser is a soap or sanitizer dispenser. The dispenser includes a housing. A removable and replaceable concentrate container for holding concentrated soap or sanitizer is located within the housing. A concentrate pump is in fluid communication with the concentrate container. A diluent container for holding a liquid is also located within the housing and a diluent pump for pumping the diluent is also included. The dispenser includes a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the concentrate pump and the diluent pump. The dispenser includes an outlet. When concentrated soap or sanitizer is pumped from the concentrate container, it mixes with diluent pumped from the diluent container to form a diluted mixture. The diluted mixture is dispensed at the outlet of the dispenser.

First claim

We claim:

1. A dispenser comprising:
a concentrate container for holding a concentrated liquid;
a concentrate pump in fluid communication with the concentrate container;
an inlet for a diluent;
a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the concentrate pump and the diluent inlet wherein the concentrate and diluent are mixed together to form a diluted mixture;
a diluted mixture passageway from the mixing chamber to an outlet of the dispenser;
an air pump;
an air passageway in fluid communication with the diluted mixture passageway;
a mixing media;
wherein the diluted mixture is mixed with compressed air from the air pump and the air and diluted mixture flow through the mixing media and is dispensed at the outlet as a foam; and
wherein movement of the air pump requires presence of diluent.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the diluent inlet is connected to a diluent container.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein the concentrate container and the diluent container are two portions of a single container and at least a portion of the diluent container is collapsible for shipping.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the diluent inlet connects to a water source.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein diluent is required to operate the concentrate pump.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the actuator is hydraulically linked to the concentrate pump.

7. A dispenser comprising:
a container for holding a concentrated liquid;
a concentrate pump for pumping the concentrated liquid;
a concentrate passageway from the concentrate pump to a mixing chamber;
an inlet for a diluent;
a diluent valve for preventing flow of diluent;
a diluent passageway from the diluent inlet to the mixing chamber; and an actuator,
wherein movement of the actuator closes the diluent valve and prevents diluent from flowing in from the diluent inlet and causes movement of the concentrate pumping mechanism to pump the concentrate; and
wherein movement of the actuator causes the diluent and concentrate to be mixed together in the mixing chamber to form a diluted mixture that is dispensed through a dispenser outlet.

8. The dispenser of claim 7 further comprising a diluent container in fluid communication with the diluent inlet for holding a supply of diluent.

9. The dispenser of claim 7 wherein the actuator is hydraulically linked to the concentrate pump.

10. The dispenser of claim 7 wherein the inlet is connectable to a water supply.

11. The dispenser of claim 10 wherein the source of the water supply is a shower or a faucet water supply.

12. The dispenser of claim 7 further comprising an air pump and an air passageway in fluid communication with the diluted mixture and mixes with the diluted mixture to form a foam prior to the diluted mixture being dispensed out of the dispenser outlet.

13. The dispenser of claim 12 further comprising a mix media located upstream of the dispenser outlet.

14. A dispenser comprising:
a holder for receiving a replaceable refill unit that includes a container of a concentrated liquid and a concentrate pump;
a concentrate pump actuator for actuating the concentrate pump when a refill is installed in the dispenser;
a concentrate passageway for directing concentrate to a mixing chamber;
an inlet for a diluent;
a diluent passageway from the inlet to the mixing chamber;
an outlet from the mixing chamber;
and a dispenser actuator; and
an air pump
wherein the concentrate pump actuator is prevented from moving when no diluent is present and when diluent is present, movement of the dispenser actuator moves the concentrate pump actuator;
wherein the diluent and concentrate are mixed together in the mixing chamber and dispensed at an outlet located downstream of the mixing chamber; and
wherein an air passageway places the air pump in fluid communication with the mixture of the diluent and the concentrate prior to being dispensed out of the outlet.

15. The dispenser of claim 14 wherein the diluent is water and the concentrate is a soap.

16. The dispenser of claim 14 further comprising a diluent container in fluid communication with the inlet for holding a supply of diluent.

17. The dispenser of claim 14 wherein movement of the air pump requires presence of diluent.

18. The dispenser of claim 14 wherein the inlet is connectable to a water supply.

19. The dispenser of claim 18 wherein the source of the water supply is a shower or a faucet water supply.

20. The dispenser of claim 14 further comprising a mix media located upstream of the dispenser outlet.

21. The dispenser of claim 14 wherein the concentrate pump is hydraulically linked to the dispenser actuator by diluent.

Assignees

• Gojo Ind Inc

Inventors

• Ciavarella Nick E
• Metcalfe Paul R
• Urban Scott E

Classifications

• B05B11/1081

  Arrangements for pumping several liquids or other fluent materials from several containers, e.g. for mixing them at the moment of pumping · CPC title

• B05B11/1087 Primary

  Combination of liquid and air pumps · CPC title

• B05B7/2443 Primary

  the carried liquid and the main stream of carrying liquid being brought together downstream of the container before discharge (B05B7/2454 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B7/0018

  with devices for making foam · CPC title

• A47K5/14

  Foam or lather making devices · CPC title